


Bonus Chapter 1: A Falling Star

by Jezune



Series: All-New, All-Different Guardian [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22670764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jezune/pseuds/Jezune
Summary: An evening of peace is broken by some unwelcome guests.
Series: All-New, All-Different Guardian [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1578925
Kudos: 1





	Bonus Chapter 1: A Falling Star

The hyur was sat on his couch, recovering from a day’s worth of bouts and celebration, when they came. With a great heavy bang his apartment door came unhinged, careening through the air and crashing to splinters against a pillar. Jezune blinked once. Twice. He sprang into action, an unarmed but guarded stance held as he watched the dust settle, ready to turn aside any attack. Well, any, save for this one.

 _Bang! Bang!_ Gunshots rang through the air as Jezune felt a sharp pain run up his left arm, the second shot fired grazing against his right shoulder. The Hyur grit his teeth as he heard the sound of heavy footsteps storming down the hallway and through the door in front of him. Unmarked men stood at the ready, weapons of various shapes and sizes poised to tear him to pieces.

Jezune grinned wide, confidence plain in his face. _Guess I won the wrong bout. Or was it…_ He shrugged. Who knew, at this point. The man kicked open the cabinet behind him, revealing a veritable treasure trove of weaponry. Just as he did, a lightly armored roegaedyn to his right stepped forward, brandishing an axe and threatening the blade to fall upon the Hyur. With great speed, Jezune pulled a blade from his back, unsheathing it and bringing it to bear in one motion, stopping the axe’s descent and turning it aside. As the roegadyn was thrown off balance, Jezune stepped forward to deliver a stunning uppercut with the pommel of his sword, knocking the Roe out cold with an attack that would have granted him the victory in any fair fight.

Of course, this was not a fair fight.

On his left, an elezen thrust a spear forward, aiming to run the gladiator’s unarmed midsection through. He moved to parry the thrust, raising his sword and aiming to fall it upon his adversary’s lance, sending it against the ground. However, what the Hyur had failed to notice was a third, shrouded figure taking up the rear. With the roegadyn no longer in the line of fire, he raised his rifle.

 _Bang! Bang!_ Again, gunshots rang out. That same cold, shooting pain now ran through the Hyur’s sword arm as lead entered his bloodstream. He winced for the briefest moment. That moment was all it took for the lance to pierce his flesh. The Hyur gave a hacking cough, blood falling from his lips. His left hand came to grasp at the lance’s shaft, though at this point without enough strength to stop it as it pierced further, lodging itself within the gladiator.

His vision began to blur until it finally faded to black. He slumped, his body only held up by the weapon that caused its demise. The hyur found his lips curling into a small smile.

_At least… a man dies on his feet._

When the hyur’s eyes opened again, the world had changed around him. A canvas of pure white stood before him, and in some slight distance stood a familiar figure. That tree of eons, a Guardian to those of the Shroud and indeed a Guardian many days to the boy who laid under its shade. Jezune looked down, surprised to see himself unscathed, though not without a great measure of weariness. He walked up to the tree’s roots, taking up post underneath them and laying his head against its trunk. His eyes slowly shut, and the Hyur began to drift off underneath its shade.

“Hey, kid!” A loud _THUNK_ erupted from the ground just in front of him, and his eyes shot open. The hyur scrambled to his feet as a familiar figure stood before him. His eyes traced from toe to head. An elezen in simple Wailer’s attire stood confidently before him, brandishing the spear that had been buried in the ground. Jezune squinted, looking up but not quite able to make out the face, save a rather cocky grin.

“Slacking again, are you? Or… were you planning to join me?” The elezen exhaled, rolling up a sleeve to stare at his wrist, miming a look at a chronometer. “Seems a bit early. ‘Course, it was a bit early for me too, but…” The Wailer fell quiet, looking the Hyur up and down. “Huh. Guess you ain’t a kid anymore.” The tip of the spear came to poke lightly at his stomach. “Still taller than you, though.” Jezune rolled his eyes before opening his mouth to speak. Despite his lips moving, however, words failed to emerge.

“A-ha! There, see? You ain’t meant to be here yet, bud. What was that you said…? Ah, yes.” The elezen put his hands on his hips, his voice bearing mock bravado. “‘A man dies on his feet.’ What a load of crap.” More spear pokes ensued, Jezune jerking in reaction. “That ain’t what makes a man. A man dies protecting the things he cares about. You go out like this, what the hell’re you protecting?” A flip of the lance, and the shaft was outstretched to Jezune. “This doesn’t belong to me anymore, right? Use it to be a man, kid.” The elezen waved a hand dismissively. “And don’t come back until you do. You’re hogging my spot,” Jezune looked up, hardly able to discern the features of the man that stood before him - save the bright crinkle of eyes that betrayed a smile. After a few moments, he extended his hand, grasping the spear.

A sharp exhale escaped the Hyur’s lips. His eyes flew open, a new fire burning within him and adrenaline coursing through his veins. His left hand came firm upon his opponent’s lance, holding it tight in place as his right was thrown behind him, grasping at that familiar spear. Jezune returned his enemy’s attack in kind, thrusting forward and running him through, pinning him against the wall behind. One headbutt later, his adversary was out cold.

 _Bang!_ Jezune had ducked at the sound of the farther off opponent’s movement, scrambling back towards his closet and pulling out his silver gunblade. As his opponent stopped to reload his weapon, Jezune primed his own, aiming its tip at the gunman and pulling the trigger. A blank was fired, knocking his adversary out the door, down the hallway, and out cold. Jezune felt his breath, heavy, as he stumbled across the room to his desk.

“Goldy, you okay?” The fish glubbed back at him as he rummaged through the drawer, pulling out a linkpearl and a first aid kit. Jezune put the linkpearl to his ear, adjusting its frequency before pulling the spear from his midsection, beginning to dress his wound as best he could to stop the bleeding.

“Marauder!” A soft click came over the airwaves, and a slight rustling noise.

“Je - er, Guardian? Is that you? You sound like hell.” The sound of a familiar booming voice came over the linkpearl. Faintly one could hear a woman’s voice, irate and interrogative.

Jezune chuckled. “Probably look it too. Listen, I need a favor. I’ve been attacked. My apartment… could use a bit of cleaning up. Preferably before they awaken.”

“Attacked? What in blazes…” The woman’s shouting was louder now. “Er, hold on. She wants to talk to you.”

“What the hell’re you doing, interrupting our training?” A former foe’s voice rang loud over the pearl.

“Lysan - “ Jezune began to speak.

“And who the hell said ya could use my name? Where the hell are you right now, I’m comin’ to give ya a piece of my mind!” That was easy. Jezune began to speak as the sound of a sharp exhale came from the pearl.

“Er… my apartment. You two know where it is. Oh, and bring your weapons, just in case they’re… I’m itching for another fight.” Jezune smiled as he heard the woman storm off, yelling something about teaching another lesson.

The hyur exhaled soft, arming himself with sword and lance before sprinting swift out the door, one singular thought on his mind.

_I need to find her._


End file.
